The occurrence of the semi-terrestrial shrimpsMerguia oligodon(De Man 1888) andM. rhizophorae(Rathbun 1900) (Crustacea Decapoda Hippolytidae) in Africa

摘要

The hippolytid shrimpsMerguia oligodon(De Man 1888) andM. rhizophorae(Rathbun 1900) are reported from Kenya and Nigeria respectively, the first occurrences of this genus on the African continent. The species have been previously known only from Myanmar and Indonesian waters (M. oligodon), and Panama (Atlantic coast), Suriname and Brazil (M. rhizophorae). The occurrences on east and west Africa coasts represent considerable range extensions for both these remarkable shrimps, the only known semi-terres trial caridean species, and suggest that their distribution may be circumtropical in suitable mangrove habitats.